Spotlight 2022

Th e

NOVEMBER 2022

SPOTLIGHT A PVTC Pu b lic a t ion

EMBRACING DIFFERENCES pp.5

"EUPHORIA- FIED" COSTUMES IN BEAUTY & THE BEAST pp.9

EMBARKING ON AN ADVENTURE: HELLO NYU! pp.16

SWING BY ANYTIME Welc om e Hom e! As p rom ised , PVTC reop ened the d oors to La ne Ha ll this sum m er with p la ys, m usic a ls, a nd workshop s. It feels so g ood to b e b a c k! 2022 wa s esp ec ia lly m ea ning ful to m e b ec a use a fter ha ving run sum m er c a m p s for twelve yea rs, m y d a ug hter Athena ( a g e 5) ha d her first op p ortunity to p a rtic ip a te a s a c a m p er in Frozen Jr.! I loved exp erienc ing our p rog ra m m ing not just a s a m em b er of the a rtistic sta ff, b ut a lso a s a m om .

I hop e you ha ve a c ha nc e to stop b y our sp a c e b efore the end of the yea r. Our lig hting b ooth & g rid ha ve rec eived up g ra d es tha t will a llow for m ore p rofessiona l exp erienc es for stud ents, interns, d esig ners, a nd a ud ienc es. After m a ny yea rs of d rea m ing , we fina lly ha ve leg itim a te thea tre risers c ustom - d esig ned for La ne Ha ll tha t c a n b e c onfig ured in a va riety of wa ys. Our new b ox offic e wind ow a llows for b etter c om m unic a tion with our p a trons. We a re so g ra teful for this c om m unity?s sup p ort in keep ing PVTC vib ra nt!

As you?ll see when you rea d throug h The Spotlight, PVTC ha s b een a b le to la unc h ( a nd re- la unc h!) a d iverse a rra y of p rog ra m m ing in 2022. We a re shifting a fter sc hool c la sses b a c k to a yea r- round m od el to a llow stud ents to work towa rd s a m ore fully p rod uc ed showc a se in the sp ring . La st June, we sent our first ever Thea tre for Young Aud ienc es m usic a l? a p rod uc tion of Ant a nd Gra sshopper? to p resc hools a round the Peninsula free of c ha rg e. We a lso b roug ht b a c k in- sc hool resid enc ies, introd uc ed workshop s with Broa d wa y p rofessiona ls, led stud ents throug h c rea tive d evising p roc esses, a nd d oub led d own on our c om m itm ent to I.D.E.A. ( Inc lusion, Diversity, Eq uity, a nd Ac c ounta b ility) .

The hig hly a c c om p lished teena g ers who a re involved in our internship p rog ra m a nd the newly form ed Youth Counc il a re eng a g ed a nd thoug htful lea d ers. We a re so thrilled to welc om e c om p etent a nd p a ssiona te c olleg e stud ents to our sta ff a s tea c hing a nd a d m in a ssista nts, a s well a s m em b ers of Portola Va lley?s Willow Com m ons resid entia l c om m unity a s c la ssroom interns. It?s b een hea rtwa rm ing to hea r a lum ni a nd g uest a rtists of yore reflec t on the wa ys in whic h PVTC help ed illum ina te or revea l p a thwa ys for them a s they ha ve p ursued m ea ning ful work outsid e our little g rove of red wood trees.

As you flip throug h these p a g es, I hop e you feel tha t PVTC is your hom e, whether you were la st on c a m p us yesterd a y or twenty yea rs a g o. Plea se keep in touc h - we love to hea r wha t everyone is up to.

Cheers to a c rea tive end to 2022,

Noëlle GM Gib b s Exec utive Artistic Direc tor

Ta b le of

CONTENTS

2022 production photo credits Chip Kra uskopf & Alex Doherty

1

W elc om e from Noëlle

3

Su m m er 2022: Hom e is W h ere t h e Hea rt Is

4

Sp ot lig h t On 2022 In t ern s

5

Em b ra c in g Differen c es

7

Th e Ma k in g of Hom em a de

8

"Yes, AND..."

9

"Eu p h oria - Fied " Cost u m es in Bea uty & the Bea st

11

Sh a k esp ea re in t h e Am p h it h ea t er

13

I.D.E.A.: Six Pilla rs of Com m it m en t

15

Th ea t re For You n g Au d ien c es

16

Em b a rk in g on a n Ad v en t u re: Hello NYU!

17

Ba c k st a g e Pa ss: Bey on d PVTC

18

Firesid e Room Ch a t : An Alu m n i Colu m n

19

Beh in d t h e Cu rt a in

20

Up c om in g Ev en t s

21

Th a n k You !

22

Meet Ou r Boa rd of Direc t ors

Pa g e 2

Desig n Conc ep ts

BY FRED EIRA S Desig ning a nd b uild ing sc enery for c a m p is b oth fun a nd c ha lleng ing . My ta sk this sum m er wa s to d esig n a nd b uild five shows in just eig ht weeks! This wa s m a d e m ore d iffic ult b y the fa c t tha t we would b uild outsid e in the elem ents - c old wind y m orning s a nd sizzling hot a fternoons. But with the help of m y interns a nd c a m p ers, we were a b le to g et it a ll d one! It?s a lso g ra tifying to see the stud ents c rea te a nd b ond a s they work tog ether.

I tried to c om e up with d esig ns tha t would tra nsition ea sily for q uic k sc ene c ha ng es. Bec a use the turn- a round b etween shows is so fa st, they a lso need ed to b e rep urp osed rig ht a wa y for whic hever show we were working on next. I d esig ned four- wa y b ook fla ts tha t op ened for ea c h sc ene a nd c ould b e q uic kly c ha ng ed for va rious loc a tions. We a lso c a m e up with the id ea of p la tform s tha t slid a round onsta g e a nd c ould c rea te d ifferent levels a nd a rea s for a c tors. Gia nt b ook fla ts on either sid e of the sta g e g a ve us a d d itiona l a rea s for song s a nd sc enes. Outsid e in our b eloved Red wood Grove I a lso d esig ned two sets rig ht b ehind ea c h other. Between shows we a d a p ted the p la tform s, turned the wa lls a round a nd c rea ted a c om p letely d ifferent look.

Fred a dds fina l touches to a set piece before it hea ds to the sta ge

As they sa y, ?Ma ny ha nd s m a ke lig ht work? ? a nd the tea m work a nd c rea tivity a t PVTC m a ke our sum m ers a n a m a zing exp erienc e for everyone involved .

Lig hting Up The Sta g e

BY SEA N BRA TTO N As p a rt of m y internship this sum m er, I wa s the lig hting d esig ner for Frozen Jr. I enjoyed c rea ting a ll the fun effec ts a nd c hoosing c olors to d isting uish the winter vs. sum m er sc enes throug hout the show. I used m a ny m oving lig ht fixtures to b ring texture a nd m ovem ent to m y Sea n progra m s cues a longside lighting d esig n, a s well a s m a ny designer Don Coluzzi LED fixtures to p rovid e c olor. My fa vorite song tha t I d esig ned wa s d efinitely ?Let it Go,? with its overa ll c old a nd ic y them e tra nsitioning from the sm a ll isola ted sp ot a t the sta rt to the full sta g e look tha t involved m oving p a tterns a nd a snow m a c hine a s the song p rog ressed . For Bea uty a nd the Bea st, I ha d the joy of working a long sid e Don Coluzzi a s the a ssoc ia te lig hting d esig ner, a ssisting in c om ing up with id ea s a nd p rog ra m m ing c om p lex sc enes.

Pa g e 3

SUM M ER BY THE NUM BERS

5 PRODUCED SHOW S 37 Am a zing Interns 6 Colleg e Sta ff LENTED 14 3 TA A CTORS PROFESSIONA L 18 STA FF 4 Outd oor Shows 1,340 COVID Tests

28 M ICS

SPOTLIGHT on PVTC 2022 In t ern s The PVTC Internship Prog ra m p rovid es uniq ue lea d ership exp erienc e. Every c a m p session, Lizzie Cha p m a n, the Intern Coord ina tor, m eets with ea c h intern ind ivid ua lly for g oa l setting c hec k- ins. The sum m er 2022 hig h sc hool interns were a n exc ep tiona lly ta lented g roup a nd showed a trem end ous a m ount of g rowth in ea c h of their a rea s of d isc ip line.

Yea rs a t PVTC: 1 Su m m er In t ern sh ip : Audio-visual, Editing & Art Intern

Alleg ra

Hod d ie 10th g ra d e she/ her

W h a t a re y ou m ost p rou d of from t h is su m m er? I rea lly enjoy the work! It's rea lly fun a nd I enjoy using som e of the fa nc y vid eo eq uip m ent a nd sp end ing tim e in Ca nva . The skills I've lea rned in m y internship c a n d efinitely b e used b eyond c a m p .

Yea rs a t PVTC: 7 En g a g em en t in 2022: Rota tion Lea d er W h a t a re y ou m ost p rou d of from t h is su m m er? I feel like m y PVTC internship ha s help ed m e with lea d ership skills, b eing m ore c om forta b le in new environm ents a nd fig uring out m y streng ths a nd skills. I hop e to stud y p syc holog y, a nd I feel like working with c hild ren ha s help ed m e und ersta nd their a c tions.

Na n a Ka w a sh im a 11th g ra d e she/ her

Yea rs a t PVTC: 5 Su m m er In t ern sh ip : Set/Props Design, I.D.E.A.

Joh n n y Cla rk 11th g ra d e he/ him

W h a t a re y ou m ost p rou d of from t h is su m m er? I've b een insp ired a nd hop e to work towa rd s b eing m ore well round ed when it c om es to working with folks with d ifferent a b ilities.

Pa g e 4

W h en Com m u n it ies Em b ra c e Differen c es, EVERYBODY W in s A Direc tor's Persp ec tive Sum m er 2022

BY M A D D IE ZD EBLIC K

?And when you?re rea d y, op en your eyes. Welc om e b a c k? ?

As we c onc lud ed our d a ily m ind fulness p ra c tic e, usua lly a series of b rea thing exerc ises a im ed to c enter our c om m unity a fter the exc item ent of lunc h, a loud horse- like whinny interrup ted our silenc e. Alex Morg a n ( a b eloved PVTC a lum who joined our c olleg e sta ff this yea r) b urst throug h the c urta ins wild - eyed , wea ring a ra inb ow top ha t a nd fea ther b oa ! The front row of c a m p ers sc ooted b a c k, whisp ering ? who wa s this stra ng e c rea ture?

It wa s the first d a y of rehea rsa ls for Frozen Jr. a nd the b eg inning of our c rea tive d ra m a : a n im m ersive, p a rtic ip a tory na rra tive, with a sim ila r p lot to tha t of Frozen. Over three weeks of rehea rsa ls, c a m p ers, interns, a nd sta ff would help Alex?s c ha ra c ter, Sp rinkles the Unic orn, und ersta nd Frozen?s m essa g e: When c om m unities up hold a sing le wa y of b eing a s ?norm a l,? everyb od y suffers. When c om m unities em b ra c e d ifferenc e, everyb od y wins. By the end of the session, c a m p ers would b e g ossip ing a b out Sp rinkles sig hting s a t hom e, sta nd ing with Sp rinkles a s he a d voc a ted for him self with his friend s, a nd b ra instorm ing wa ys to m a ke our shows m ore Sp rinkles- friend ly? unic orns d on?t like the d a rk.

As d irec tor of Frozen Jr. a nd Frozen KIDS, I wa s exc ited to run with the p ost- Covid isola tion energ y of song s like ?For the First Tim e in Forever? to c rea te g leeful p erform a nc es. But I wa s a lso p a ssiona te a b out exp loring d eep er issues. For m e, the sister of a young m a n with d isa b ilities, Frozen ha s a lwa ys b een a story a b out

Pa g e 5

system ic a b leism a nd a c tive a llyship . Elsa is a young wom a n with a n inna te d ifferenc e ? her m a g ic . Like a d isa b ility, this m a g ic is unusua l, b ut not inherently b a d .

In fa c t, ha d it b een nurtured , it m ig ht ha ve b een a c om m unity a sset. However, when soc ia l exp ec ta tions a nd her p a rents?fea r lea d Elsa to m a sk her d ifferenc e ? ?c onc ea l it, d on?t feel it?? it b ec om es a p rob lem . Elsa runs a wa y, b elieving Arend elle is b etter off without her.

"t o c rea t e g leefu l p erform a n c es, w elc om in g ev ery on e h om e" Like m a ny sib ling s, Anna loves her sister unc ond itiona lly, a nd so sets off on a journey to b ring her sister hom e. When Anna find s Elsa , she?s so c onfid ent in her a b ility to fix thing s tha t she ta lks over her instea d of listening ? a c la ssic p itfa ll of a llyship . In the end , it is Elsa ?s love a nd Elsa ?s m a g ic tha t sa ves the d a y. Arend elle em b ra c es her for who she is, a nd she b eg ins to em b ra c e herself.

Our c rea tive d ra m a with Sp rinkles the Unic orn let us p la y throug h som e of these c om p lexities in wa ys a c c essib le to even our kind erg a rten c a m p ers. Just like life, it d id n?t lea d us to ea sy a nswers, b ut to m ore q uestions. After the fina l d ress rehea rsa l for Frozen Jr., a c a m p er sa id , ?I g et it? Elsa wa sn?t trying to hurt p eop le, b ut she still d id . She c a used a n eterna l winter! Should she rea lly b e Queen a fter tha t??

A d isc ussion b roke out. Suc c ession rules a sid e, a c c ounta b ility is im p orta nt. And a fter the events of Frozen, Elsa p rob a b ly ha d a lot of hea ling to d o. Wa s the b est p la c e for her to d o tha t on the throne? ?She should m a yb e g o to thera p y?? one c a m p er offered . ?Thera p y!? the g roup c heered .

At PVTC, we d on?t only m a ke g rea t a rt. These d eep c onversa tions in Frozen a re a p erfec t exa m p le of how a ll of us sha rp en our c ritic a l thinking , c rea tivity, a nd c om m unic a tion skills a s we c a re for ea c h other in c om m unity.

Frozen c om es t o life "in su m m er"!

Even interns ha d the opportunity to "Let It Go"

Ola f celebra tes their own persona l flurry

Posing for photos before the show

Ma g ic a l Jou rn ey s Citizens of Arendelle ba sk in the sum m er sun

Alex Morga n steps into the role of Sprinkles

W E CARE FOR EACH OTHER IN COMMUNITY

Student cra ft tim e between rehea rsa ls

Actors perform the song "For the First Tim e in Forever"

On St a g e & Off Pa g e 6

DEVISING

THE MAKING OF HOMEMADE

2022 m a rked PVTC?s fourth yea r of c rea ting a c om p letely orig ina l show written a nd p erform ed b y stud ents. In line with the 2022 c a m p them e, we took a d eep look a t h om e a nd a ll tha t the word c a n im p ly. We reflec ted on our own exp erienc es, eng a g ed in im p rovisa tions a nd c rea tive d ra m a s, a nd interviewed a d ults who m a y ha ve ha d a d ifferent p ersp ec tive on hom e tha n the a vera g e 9- to- 14- yea r- old . From there, we exa m ined the m a teria l we?d g a thered from thirty- five uniq ue p ersp ec tives to d evise a show tha t wa s b oth outra g eously enterta ining a nd p ierc ing ly p oig na nt.

St ep 1: Bra in st orm in g On the first d a y of c a m p , d irec tor Noëlle GM Gib b s p osed four q uestions to c a m p ers: 1. Wha t d oes hom e m ea n to you?

2. Wha t ob jec ts a re found in a hom e?

3. Wha t events d oes a hom e witness in its lifetim e?

4. Wha t a re a ll the typ es of hom es we c a n think of?

Ca m p ers wrote their a nswers on p ost- it notes a nd stuc k them to p iec es of b utc her p a p er so the whole c a st c ould look for trend s in the a nswers.

In the ea rly sta ges of devising, ca m pers bra instorm ed severa l topics a round the them e of ?hom e?

St ep 2: Im p rov & Crea t iv e Dra m a

Ca m pers interview guest Brodie - who works in housing for disa dva nta ged young a dults - a bout his experiences a nd perspectives

Tog ether, c a m p ers c rea ted a n im a g ina ry world in whic h rum ors flew a b out a n a b a nd oned house a nd the ob jec ts it c onta ined . Insp ired b y the im p rov, a c tors wrote sc enes a nd m onolog ues a s ina nim a te ob jec ts. They m a d e surp rising d isc overies, like Frying Pa n?s d esire to sta rt a revolution a g a inst the hum a ns a nd La und ry Ba sket?s feeling s a b out the swea ty m usic a l thea tre kid tha t c onsta ntly throws soc ks on her. In rehea rsa l, a c tors foc used on la rg e p hysic a l c hoic es to d ra m a tize ob jec ts who we d on?t norm a lly think of a s sentient.

St ep 3: In t erv iew s Nine g uests joined us for a p a nel d isc ussion a nd 1- on- 1 interviews to exp a nd our und ersta nd ing of hom e. We sp oke with Kirst en Kin g on ; a resid ent a t the Seq uoia s retirem ent fa c ility; Am y W h it e, PVTC a lum a nd resid ent of Willow Com m ons; Drew At k in son & Alic ia Kot , PVTC d esig ners c o- existing in a tiny tra iler; Rig o Pa z, long tim e VPC c ustod ia n who lives onsite a nd is resp onsib le for the b ea uty of the c a m p us; Brod ie St orey , sta ff m em b er a t Covena nt House who works with unhoused youth in Sa nta Cla ra ; Na d in e Ma k k i , sta ff m em b er a t Ha b ita t for Hum a nity Grea ter Sa n Fra nc isc o; Ma y a Seg a l, 2022 PVTC c olleg e sta ffer who sp oke a b out her d orm life exp erienc e, a nd interior d esig ner Ka t h erin e Tin c h er. Using the Join t St oc k m ethod , ea c h m id d le sc hool stud ent tra c ked one g uest?s p ersp ec tive, b ut c ould not ta ke notes or rec ord their c onversa tions. Onc e the g uests left, stud ents wrote d own a s m uc h a s they c ould rem em b er a b out wha t their p a nelist sa id to c rea te a m onolog ue filtered throug h the a c tor?s m em ory ( shout out to the interns who help ed c a p ture these stories a long sid e c a m p ers!) .

Pa g e 7

St ep 4 : A Coh esiv e Sh ow Onc e we ha d our sc enes a nd m onolog ues, the g roup g a thered to sha re m a teria l. We id entified c om m on them es a t work in the m onolog ues ( id entity, c om m unity, c rea ting hom e, room m a tes, a nd ?wha t hom e m ea ns to m e?) then litera lly c ut & p a sted their word s tog ether to c rea te a c olleg e- style d ia log ue a m ong interviewed p a nelists. The next c ha lleng e wa s to unify the two d iverse c om p onents of the sc rip t ( trying to p ut fic titious reb ellious m a nneq uins a nd nonfic tion ta les of newb orn b a b ies in roc kers in one show!) . Ultim a tely, we fra m ed our p iec e using a ?universa l hom e? with a n om nisc ient na rra tor/ rea l esta te a g ent esc orting us throug h tim e a nd sp a c e. He introd uc ed us to a ra ng e of exp erienc es from g leeful sp onta neous d a nc e p a rties to noisy m oving d a ys to the p lig ht of houselessness in the U.S. tod a y. We were exc eed ing ly p roud of the outc om e: Aud ienc es la ug hed , c ried , a nd rea c hed out to tell us they were thinking a b out the c om p lexity of hom e long a fter our set c a m e d own.

Editing a wa y

LEARN MORE! A/ V intern Aleg ra Hod d ie, d irec ted a nd ed ited a short form d oc um enta ry a b out the Hom em a de d evising p rocess this sum m er! Sc a n the QR cod e to chec k out her 6- m inute vid eo a b out the exp erience!

"Yes, AND...": My Squirrel Girl Journey

BY BRIA N

HERN D O N

Co- d irec tor, Squirrel Girl Goes To College Doreen Green ( a ka Squirrel Girl) befriends Na ncy a nd Tom a s in her first sem ester a t Em pire Sta te University

One of m y fa vorite running g a g s in our show Squirrel Girl Goes To College c om es from the im p rov world , where when one a c tor throws a n id ea to the others, the resp onse should a lwa ys b e ?Yes, AND?? so tha t you b uild on wha t c om es b efore. So m a ny c ha ra c ters sa y ?Yes, AND?? in the show, a nd it b ec a m e m y m a ntra in c rea ting the show. It felt g rea t to em p ower everyone to sha re id ea s, a nd to inc orp ora te a s m a ny of them a s we p ossib ly c ould in the p rod uc tion.

Som e of our ?Yes, AND?? m enta lity c a m e out of nec essity. We ha d nine d a ys to p ut tog ether the show! We ha d to m a ke c hoic es a nd run with them ; there wa s no tim e for sec ond - g uessing . Fortuna tely, sinc e Squirrel Girl Goes To College is b a sed on the c om ic b ooks, the m a teria l sup p orts b ig , b old c hoic es: c ra zy a c c ents, g ym na stic p hysic a lity, sig ht g a g s a nd silly und ersc oring ... the list g oes on.

Fred Eira s, our tec hnic a l d irec tor a nd set d esig ner, wa s a b le to g ive us so m a ny d ifferent p la c es for our Sq uirrel Chorus to live onsta g e. The wind ows in the set a nd the la d d ers to p eek over top were hom e b a se for the Chorus. I m a d e sure tha t everyone who wa nted to b e on one of the

la d d ers g ot the op p ortunity; I would ha ve ha ted it if I were in the Chorus a nd d id n?t g et a ssig ned to g o up there!

The b ig g est ?Yes, AND? m om ent for m e p ersona lly c a m e on the sec ond m orning of c a m p when Hila ry Stevens, our d irec tor, fell ill a nd I wa s a sked to ta ke over the d irec ting a nd sta g ing tha t she b eg a n. When you find yourself in c ha rg e of the show, using the id ea s a nd c hoic es everyone b ring s to you is the only wa y you?re g oing to g et to your op ening p erform a nc e!

I ha d suc h a wond erful tim e with the whole Squirrel Girl tea m a nd felt so sup p orted a nd b lessed to ha ve suc h a ta lented , d ed ic a ted g roup to whom I c ould sa y, ?Yes, AND??

Tippy Toe the Squirrel hopes she won?t lose her super- hero friend to hum a ns ( check out tha t squirrel ta il by designer Lisa Rozm a n!)

Pa g e 8

W E ARE DRESSED!

Insig ht into Costum e Desig n for BEAUTY & THE BEAST Guest d esig ners Alic ia Kot a nd Drew At k in son tell us a b out their thoug htful, c olla b ora tive, a nd "Eup horia - fied " ta ke on our hig h sc hool p rod uc tion of Disney?s Bea uty a nd the Bea st.

1

DEVELOPING A DESIGN

We took the c la ssic wa rd rob e a nd m a keup of Bea uty a nd the Bea st a nd g a ve it som e extra p iza zz! Drew ?Eup horia - fied ? the m a keup b y a d d ing jewels, p op s of c olor, a nd a n a va nt- g a rd e fla ir. Alic ia p ut a new twist on old d esig ns? the c a stle c ha ra c ters m a y not ha ve ha d d oors, ha nd les, a nd sp outs, b ut they ha d the sug g estion of the household item s they em b od ied . For exa m p le, Mrs. Potts wore a la rg e round hoop skirt a nd b roken c hina texture, Ba b ette wa s COVERED in fea thers, a nd Lum iere wa s d rip p ing in wa x a nd op ulenc e.

2

Drew a nd Alicia colla bora ted with a ctors on inspira tion for their pieces, crea ting couture colla ges for ea ch cha ra cter?s look

SOURCING COSTUMES

We c ould not ha ve b uilt this show?s wa rd rob e without the help of PVTC?s stoc k a long with the g enerous help from Sa n Ca rlos Child ren's Thea tre! We used our own c rea tive c ollec tion AND sourc ed c orsets, suits, c a p es, vests a nd m ore to m a ke these b ea utiful c ha ra c ters c om e to life.

3 FITTINGS As m uc h a s we wa nt every item of c lothing a nd every wig to fit ea c h p erson p erfec tly rig ht off the b a t, tha t never ha p p ens. Fitting s a re a rea lly im p orta nt step in our p roc ess to m a ke sure everyone feels c om forta b le a nd looks their b est onsta g e.

A costum e design sketch by Anna belle Hopkins for her role a s Ba bette

4 HEIGHTENING SPECIAL PIECES

For this show, we wa nted p a p er to p la y a sig nific a nt role in our d esig ns ? p a p er sta rts rum ors, is where a nyone would g et their inform a tion ( sp ec ia lly b efore the Internet) a nd ha s the p ower to b e used a s p rop a g a nd a . Pa p er c a n lea d to und ersta nd ing OR c a n help turn hum a n b eing s into b ea sts. Ea c h c a m p er rec eived a p iec e of p a p er on whic h they c ould d ra w a p a ttern to inc orp ora te into their c ostum e. This p ra c tic e sym b olized a ll of the rum ors the c ha ra c ters c a rried , a ll of the inform a tion tha t weig hed them d own, a nd how ea sily we c a n b e c overed in a nd influenc ed b y the id ea s of others.

& 5 REHEARSING TROUBLESHOOTING This step m ig ht b e the m ost im p orta nt, b ec a use it d eterm ines the sa fety of every p erform er. Ca n they d a nc e, m ove, sit, a nd a c t in their c ostum es? Do they feel like they a re fully em b od ying their c ha ra c ter? Ea c h c ha ra c ter wa s g iven their rehea rsa l p iec es to m a ke sure they a ll worked ( a nd fit) onsta g e.

While Ga ston m a y be looking ?down in the dum ps,? the crea tive design shines in ?Ga ston?

Pa g e 9

"

The Bea uty & The Bea st ca st strike a pose in their striking looks

I ha d a rea lly, rea lly enjoya b le tim e working on Bea uty a nd the Bea st this sum m er. I feel like I wa s rea lly a b le to c om e out of m y shell d uring this p rod uc tion? I?ve never felt so c om forta b le onsta g e, a nd in a role so fa r from m y a c tua l p ersona lity no less. I?m so g ra teful to a ll the sta ff for m a king this a sa fe a nd welc om ing environm ent in whic h I c ould exp lore the c ha ra c ter of Lum iere a nd a llow m e to b e c om forta b le p la ying onsta g e.

- Cla ire Sp enc e ( Lum iere)

6 THE BIG REVEAL! ! !

Op ening Nig ht m ea ns we g et to see our work LIVE in a c tion!

The design tea m used bright colors, tem pora ry ta ttoos, a nd unique textures to eleva te ea ch look- m a king the design for this show truly specta cula r

"

Pa g e 10

SHAKESPEARE IN THE AMPHITHEATER

BY JESS BENNETT Ma rc h 2020: PVTC a nd Corte Ma d era Sc hool ( CMS) were rehea rsing for a p rod uc tion of The Little Merm a id.

Sud d enly, COVID- 19 swep t a c ross the world , wrea king ha voc in its wa ke. Rem a ining rehea rsa ls a nd up c om ing p erform a nc es were c a nc eled . Fa m ilies were instruc ted to isola te them selves a t hom e. Stud ents b eg a n lea rning rem otely. Everyone involved sa d ly ha d to step a wa y from their ha rd work. Along with the rest of the world , the PVTC tea m p ivoted q uic kly to working in the virtua l sp here.

Fa st - forw a rd t o?

Fa ll/ W in t er 2021: PVTC a nd CMS d ec id e to tea m up a g a in? this tim e for a n outd oor p erform a nc e. After over a yea r a wa y, we were thrilled for this op p ortunity! As a sta ff, we wa nted stud ents to b e involved in every step of the p roc ess.

loved witnessing the newly refurb ished a m p hithea ter a t Corte Ma d era Sc hool ( tha nks Ea g le Sc outs!) tra nsform into a nc ient Athens a nd our stud ents b ec om e som e of Sha kesp ea re?s m ost b eloved c ha ra c ters ? from fa iries to m ec ha nic a ls to roya lty!

They sa y tha t a fter the ra in c om es the ra inb ow, a nd tha t c ould not b e truer in our c a se! After p ostp oning our shows d ue illness a nd inc lem ent wea ther ( from strong wind s to ra instorm s) we ha d two outsta nd ing p erform a nc es with full a ud ienc es a t b oth shows.

Ba sed on the thund erous a p p la use, we know tha t the fa m ilies a nd friend s in a ttend a nc e loved the show!

The stud ents, sta ff a nd p a rent volunteers p oured their hea rts into the whole p roc ess, a nd we c ould not ha ve b een p roud er of the outc om e.

As we struc k the set p iec es, p rop s a nd c ostum es, we reflec ted on how m ea ning ful it wa s to g et to p ut on a show a t CMS a fter two whole yea rs without one.

We?re thrilled tha t thea ter is thriving a g a in!

Ja n u a ry 2022: We p resented stud ents with two p la y op tions: - The Super Non- Heroes b y Ta ryn Tem p le - A Midsum m er Night?s Drea m b y Willia m Sha kesp ea re.

Given the op tion b etween a m od ern story a nd a c la ssic c om ed y- of- errors, the stud ents op ted for the la tter ( we were p lea sa ntly surp rised tha t a Sha kesp ea re p la y b ea t out a sup erhero show!) . We then b ra instorm ed a va riety of ?world s? in whic h to set our p la y ? a futuristic , a lien- inha b ited , stea m p unk la nd sc a p e; the b rig ht, c olorful, za ny d ec a d e of the 1980s; or a m ore tra d itiona l version of the show, with Athenia n g a rb , na ture- insp ired nym p hs a nd forest folks. The c a st a nd c rew overwhelm ing ly c hose: TRADITIONAL! Stud ents g a ve inp ut throug hout the p roc ess on set d esig n, p rop id ea s a nd visions for their c ostum es.Our d esig ners were so im p ressed with how p a ssiona te the stud ents were in our b ra instorm ing a nd d esig n sessions.

Puck a ddresses the a udience

Feb ru a ry - Ap ril 2022: Co- d irec tor Juliet Green a nd I d ove into c ha ra c ter d evelop m ent with the c a st a s we b eg a n lea rning a b out the world of our p la y. Stud ents sta rted p lug g ing a wa y a t rehea rsa ls: lea rning b loc king , m em orizing lines a nd m a stering c horeog ra p hy for the show. Set c rew a nd p a rent volunteers a ttend ed work- d a ys where they help ed our set d esig ner, Fred , p a int the sta g e a nd "p a p er- m â c hé "set p iec es. Our c ostum e d esig ner, Lind sa y, m et with ea c h a c tor to d isc uss their c ha ra c ter, a nd help ed our stud ent c ostum e tea m p la n out ea c h c ostum e a nd a c c essory.

Tita nia lulled into slum ber by the m a gica l powers of the ?love- in- idleness? flower

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?Shall we their fond pageant see?

Lord, what fools these mortals be!?

-Puck, A Midsummer Night?s Dream SNAPSHOT OF PVTC'S OUTREACH

BY THE NUMBERS

Students vote for Sha kespea re

Costum e crew crea tions

Students pa pier m â chéa a tree stum p set piece

Ac tors

31

Crew

19

CMS Co- Direc tor

1

PVTC Sta ff Mem b ers

5

Hig h Sc hool Interns

2

Pa rent Volunteers

31

CMS Princ ip a l Sta g e Deb ut

1

PTO Gra nt

1

Ha p p y Aud ienc e Mem b ers

200+

COM ING TOGETHER TO CREATE:

COMMUNITY, ART, AND LASTING MEMORIES Students & pa rent volunteers work together to build the outdoor sta ge

Pa g e 12

St a t em en t of In c lu sion PVTC is c om m itted to c rea ting a n a rtistic sp a c e where a ll feel welc om e, reg a rd less of a g e, ra c e, ethnic ity, c reed , d isa b ility, fina nc ia l c irc um sta nc e, g end er id entity, or sexua l orienta tion. We a c knowled g e the historic a l b ia ses tha t ha ve left m a rg ina lized c om m unities out a nd rec og nize tha t eq uity c a n only b e fully a c hieved b y a d d ressing these b ia ses. We strive to up lift a nd p rom ote a ll c om m unities in our a rtistic end ea vors.

Ju n et een t h The Frozen Jr. c om m unity set a sid e tim e this sum m er to lea rn a b out a nd p rep a re for Juneteenth with g uest a rtists Brend a Ja c kson a nd Ga ry Sta nford Jr. Our K- 1st g ra d ers ta lked a b out wa ys to c eleb ra te this newly na tiona l holid a y rec og nizing the offic ia l end of sla very in the United Sta tes. Our 2nd - 8th g ra d e c a m p ers, interns, a nd sta ff d isc ussed the history of op p ression of Afric a n Am eric a ns sinc e 1865 a nd took on the c rea tive ta sk of writing a p resid entia l sp eec h a d d ressing injustic es in d ifferent era s of our history. Ca m p ers were very eng a g ed in the c onversa tion a nd seem ed ea g er to keep up the work.

Fig h t in g for Ju st ic e Squirrel Girl c a m p ers p a rtic ip a ted in a c o- c urric ula r c om ic b ook p rojec t. We b eg a n with a n a c tivity tha t enc oura g ed c a m p ers to think a b out their own id entities a nd the wa ys tha t p eop le from d ifferent b a c kg round s m ig ht exp erienc e d isc rim ina tion. Then, we used this exerc ise to m a p out our own sup erheroes tha t fig ht b a c k a g a inst soc ia l justic e issue we see in the world a round us.

PRIDE a t PVTC We honored Prid e a t c a m p , throug h a "LET IT GO" sp irit d a y. We c eleb ra ted the LGBTQ+ c om m unity a nd enc oura g ed everyone c om e c om e sp orting a look tha t m a d e them feel like the truest version of them selves, no m a tter their id entity.

CONTINUING OUR LEARNING In ta nd em with our c urric ulum , PVTC wa s thrilled to p a rtner with A.B.L.E., a n org a niza tion tha t c rea tes thea tre with a nd for p a rtic ip a nts with intellec tua l d isa b ilities. Mem b ers of A.B.L.E.?s lea d ership tea m a nd c rea tive a ssoc ia tes p rog ra m led our sta ff a nd interns throug h new stra teg ies to c rea te inc lusive c la ssroom a nd thea tre environm ents. We used this tra ining a s a found a tion to sp ring b oa rd new initia tives ( suc h a s a q uiet room a nd c a m p - d a y soc ia l stories) a nd to reva m p our Ac c ess Previews, whic h p rovid e a c c om m od a tions for a ud ienc e m em b ers with d isa b ilities a nd other sensory need s.

Pa g e 13

PVTC's Six Pillar s of Commitment In 2022, PVTC's staff and I.D.E.A. committee sat down to outline our high-level goals for inclusion work.

Here are the areas we've identified as growing points:

ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURE PVTC rec og nizes tha t our struc ture up hold s tra d itiona l ( a nd therefore exc lusiona ry) thea tre- m a king a nd ed uc a tion p ra c tic es. As a result, we?re working to resha p e our org a niza tion a nd b ring m ore voic es to the ta b le.

Div ersify in g t h e Tea m is c ritic a l to rep resenting the voic es of BIPOC c om m unity m em b ers a nd other m a rg ina lized g roup s on the sta ff a nd b oa rd . The I.D.E.A. c om m ittee will enter into hiring a nd b oa rd selec tion m ind fully to m ea ning fully inc lud e a la rg er d iversity of voic es in our a rtistic a nd org a niza tiona l c hoic es.

ACCOUNTABILITY PVTC rec og nizes inc lusion is a verb ? it is a c tive a nd ong oing , a nd we will a lwa ys b e working to c rea te a m ore inc lusive c ulture. Ac c ounta b ility is a key p a rt of this work.

Ac c ou n t a b ilit y Coh ort The I.D.E.A. c om m ittee ha s outlined a p rop osa l to hold ourselves a c c ounta b le b y p rovid ing honest feed b a c k on g oa ls.

The Ac c ounta b ility Cohort will c om p rise 7- 10 c om m unity m em b ers who c a n sp ea k m ore b roa d ly a b out the sta nd a rd s we a re setting a s they rela te to the na tiona l thea tre c onversa tion a round I.D.E.A top ic s. The c ohort will m eet q ua rterly to ind ep end ently eva lua te PVTC?s g oa ls a nd p rog ress.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING PVTC rec og nizes tha t a key step in our I.D.E.A. efforts is to ensure tha t every m em b er of our tea m ha s the resourc es they need to eng a g e in the work. We?ve im p lem ented severa l new op p ortunities to lea rn.

On g oin g I.D.E.A. Tra in in g to help c enter I.D.E.A. top ic s a t every level.

Colla b ora t ion w it h Eq u it y Con su lt a n t s to help g uid e our thinking a round c urric ulum b uild ing , show selec tion, c olor c onsc ious c a sting , a nd a c c essib le lea rning .

Resou rc e Pa c k et s to b uild a strong sha red la ng ua g e a c ross our tea m .

ACCESSIBILITY PVTC rec og nizes tha t tra d itiona l thea tre p ra c tic es a re often a b leist. We a re c om m itted to reva m p ing p rog ra m s in ord er to b e m ore inc lusive for p a rtic ip a nts a nd c om m unity m em b ers with d isa b ilities or other a c c ess need s.

Ac c ess Prev iew s inc lud e a c c om m od a tions for a ud ienc e m em b ers with d isa b ilities a nd other sensory need s.

Mea n in g fu l Pa rt n ersh ip with loc a l org a niza tions inc lud ing Willow Com m ons a nd AllFive.

Dev elop m en t of Ac c ess Gu id elin es to im p lem ent a c c om m od a tion m ea sures like la rg e- p rint p rog ra m s, a ssisted listening d evic es, op en/ c losed c a p tioning , a nd ASL interp reted p erform a nc es.

ONGOING CREATIVE PRACTICES PVTC rec og nizes tha t, a s a n a rts ed uc a tion org a niza tion, we ha ve the uniq ue op p ortunity to eng a g e with a nti- ra c ist, justic e- b a sed work throug h a uniq ue lens. These efforts a re ever- evolving to resp ond to the na tiona l c onversa tions.

An Art ist ic Proc ess tha t inc lud es b oa rd , sta ff, a nd interns, in our show selec tion a nd c a sting p roc esses. We strive to m a ke c olor c onsc ious c a sting d ec isions a nd to eng a g e with m em b ers of m a rg ina lized c om m unities to tell stories with g rea ter integ rity.

Co- Cu rric u la r Prog ra m m in g tha t na tura lly a nd intentiona lly wea ves I.D.E.A. c onversa tions into a ll of our p rod uc tion a nd c la sswork. This inc lud es sta nd a rd iza tion of a g e- a p p rop ria te I.D.E.A. eng a g em ent in our c urric ulum d evelop m ent.

FINANCIAL EQUITY PVTC rec og nizes tha t Portola Va lley a nd the surround ing a rea s rep resent a p rim a rily up p er a nd up p er- m id d le c la ss p op ula tion. We a re c om m itted to op ening our d oors to c om m unity m em b ers from a ll fina nc ia l b a c kg round s.

Sc h ola rsh ip Prog ra m s ensure no c hild is turned a wa y from PVTC b ec a use of fina nc ia l need . We offer b oth full a nd p a rtia l sc hola rship s to stud ents in our sum m er a nd a fter sc hool p rog ra m s every yea r.

AllFiv e Com m u n it y Ou t rea c h PVTC ha s p a rtnered with AllFive, a n Ea st Menlo Pa rk p resc hool c om m itted to b uild ing a n eq uita b le soc iety, where ea c h fa m ily no m a tter their b a c kg round , ha s a c c ess to hig h q ua lity ea rly c hild hood ed uc a tion in a nurturing a nd resp ec tful lea rning c om m unity. Throug hout the yea r, we a re offering storytelling , short p erform a nc es, a nd d ra m a workshop s free of c ost.

Art ist Su p p ort The Portola Va lley a rea is fa irly ina c c essib le, so PVTC ha s p a rtnered with loc a l c om m unity m em b ers to offer housing a nd tra nsp orta tion for a rtists.

Pa g e 14

ASL a t PVTC

BY JESS BENNETT This p a st sp ring Da ne Lentz - p rofessiona l ASL interp reter a nd p erform er - ta ug ht a PVTC hig h sc hool stud ent, Anna b elle Hop kins, a ll a b out ASL interp reta tion for m usic a l thea ter. It wa s b ea utiful to see not only the lyric s b eing c onveyed in ASL, b ut a lso the em otion of ea c h line tra nsm itted throug h the fa c e a nd b od y. Anna b elle wa s a b le to m a ster two full m usic a l thea tre song s in ASL! We look forwa rd to find ing m ore op p ortunities to b ring ASL into our c la sses, workshop s a nd p rod uc tions a t PVTC.

Thea tre for Young Aud ienc es

Two Best Bug Friends! Hila ry a nd Alexa ndra m a rch into the roles of Ant a nd Gra sshopper.

Fun for the whole a nt colony! Ea ch perform a nce fea tured a fun fa m ily workshop for bugs big a nd sm a ll!

D ir ect F rom t he H il l BYTHENUMBERS

BY HILARY STEVENS

2 BESTBUGFRIENDS " 7 PERFORMANCES 5 VENUES HAPPYAUDIENCE 150+MEMBERS Pa g e 15

I ha d the p lea sure of p la ying the role of Ant in PVTC's sp ring p rod uc tion of Ant & Gra sshopper whic h toured free of c ha rg e to p resc hools in the a rea a nd inc lud ed a n intera c tive workshop . It wa s truly a g ift to see the joy on the c hild ren?s fa c es a nd hea r them la ug h a nd enjoy the show.

Thea tre for Young Aud ienc es is nea r a nd d ea r to m y hea rt. I ha ve a d eg ree in Thea tre for Youth a nd a s a tea c hing a rtist, b ring ing live thea tre to c hild ren is so im p orta nt. It a llows c hild ren to see som e of their fa vorite stories c om e to life a nd a lso b e p a rt of the show them selves.

"

Em b a rking on a n ADVENTURE Li zzi e C h a p m a n s a t d o w n w i t h J o h n M a x By r n e t o d i s c u s s h i s c o l l e g e a u d i t i o n p r o c e s s & PV TC 's r o l e i n h i s p rep a ra t io n .

LC: Joh n Ma x, c on g ra t u la t ion s on y ou r a c c ep t a n c e t o NYU Tisc h Sc h ool of Th e Art s! Tell m e a b it a b ou t y ou r a p p lic a t ion p roc ess, h ow w a s t h a t exp erien c e?

JMB: Throug hout the a p p lic a tion p roc ess, I wa s m ostly a p p lying to BFA p rog ra m s, of whic h req uire three d ifferent typ es of a p p lic a tions. There?s the c om m on a p p lic a tion, whic h is the a p p lic a tion to g et into the sc hool itself. Then there?s a sep a ra te a p p lic a tion, whic h som etim es inc lud es a n a ud ition, live or on Zoom . Som e sc hools a lso req uired a n interview a nd / or a p ersona l essa y. The p roc ess wa s ted ious a nd long , b ut it wa s sup er rewa rd ing .

LC: W h a t w a s it lik e b ein g a PVTC lon g - t im er rec ord in g y ou r a u d it ion in La n e Ha ll?

JMB: It wa s suc h a fun exp erienc e! I ha ve b een a p a rt of PVTC sinc e I wa s in p resc hool. I ha ve d one a p lethora of p rod uc tions here. It wa s nic e to b e a b le to c om e b a c k a fter not b eing a b le to b e on c a m p us for a long tim e. It wa s a n inc red ib le exp erienc e b eing a b le to p erform m y m onolog ues on the sta g e with the lig hts.

LC: I u n d erst a n d y ou w ea r c oc h lea r im p la n t s. How h a s t h a t in form ed y ou r exp erien c e a s a t h ea t re m a k er?

JMB: Fortuna tely, I feel g ra teful enoug h to sa y it ha sn?t a ffec ted m e neg a tively. In the m a jority of the p rod uc tions I ha ve d one, it ha s d efinitely op ened m y eyes a b out the im p orta nc e of inc lusivity, d iversity, a nd a c c essib ility.

PVTC ha s b een suc h a g rea t sup p orter of m y ong oing thea ter c a reer sinc e I wa s little, a nd I d efinitely would n?t ha ve p ursued this c a reer without the intensive tra ining tha t PVTC p rovid es. .LC: Nic e! Tell m e a b it m ore a b ou t t h e a u d it ion s t h em selv es, w h a t sort of m a t eria ls d id y ou p rep a re?

JMB: Ea c h c olleg e ha d a c om p letely d ifferent c riteria . It wa s kind of exha usting ! Ultim a tely, with the help of Noëlle GM Gib b s a nd Bria n Hernd on, I p rep a red four p iec es: two c om ed ic , two d ra m a tic with two of those b eing c la ssic a l a nd the other two b eing c ontem p ora ry. Throug h the p roc ess, I d id a lot of p rep with those m onolog ues. I ha d a few d a ys whic h I film ed in La ne Ha ll or in the kitc hen on c a m p us ( there wa s one tha t wa s site sp ec ific !) . I ha d two live a ud itions: one tha t I rec ord ed in La ne Ha ll a nd a nother whic h I film ed from the c om fort of m y own hom e.

I wa s luc ky enoug h to not ha ve to tra vel to a ny other loc a tions to a ud ition.

I d on't notic e m y c oc hlea r im p la nts a s som ething tha t m a kes m e d ifferent. I look a t it a s som ething sim ila r to a p erson sa ying ?m y eyes a re g reen? or ?m y eyes a re b lue?.

I d id n?t wa nt it to d efine m e a s a p erson. In m y a p p lic a tions, I a c tua lly stra yed a wa y from m entioning tha t I ha ve c oc hlea r im p la nts, b ec a use I d id n?t wa nt it to b e m y d efining story, a nd I w a n t ed t o b e a c c ep t ed in t o t h e p rog ra m b ec a u se of w h o I a m a s a n in d iv id u a l, a n d n ot t o ju st b e a c h ec k on t h e d iv ersit y c a rd .

W e c a n 't w a i t t o h e a r m o r e a b o u t w h a t Jo h n Ma x h a s b een u p t o a f t e r h i s f r e s h m a n y e a r a t N YU Ti s c h Sc h o o l o f t h e A r t s .

Pa g e 16

Ba c ksta g e Pa ss PVTC ha s worked with som e p retty p henom ena l ind ivid ua ls over the yea rs! Com m unity Eng a g em ent Coord ina tor Lizzie Cha p m a n sa t d own to ta lk with a lum ni a nd p a st a rtists to lea rn a b out wha t they?re up to a nd how their tim e a t PVTC sha p ed their lives.

Ch a rly n n Kn ig h t on ( sh e/ h er) St a ff a t PVTC from 2014 - 2020 Cha rlynn rec ently wra p p ed up her ten m onth whirlwind tour a s a m em b er of the wa rd rob e tea m for Pretty Wom a n. Working m a inly with the two p rinc ip les ( Ed wa rd a nd Vivia n) , Cha rlynn would p rep their d ressing room s, c ostum es, a nd run a ll of their c ostum e c ha ng es. Cha rlynn wa s on her feet a nd her d a ys were long , c loc king eig ht m iles insid e the thea tre d uring a loa d - in!

Am a n d a Od a sz ( sh e/ h er) Form er Jr. St a ff 2014 & 2017 Am a nd a g ra d ua ted from Ha rva rd La w Sc hool in 2021 a nd a fter two intense m onths of a d d itiona l stud ying , p a ssed her b a r exa m . She?s c urrently a t a firm in DC! Thinking b a c k to her tim e a t PVTC, Am a nd a rec a lls how im p orta nt tea m work wa s b oth on a nd off the sta g e. It ta ug ht her how to work well with a va riety of p eop le from d ifferent b a c kg round s.

When a sked a b out her tim e a t PVTC, Cha rlynn rem em b ers fond ly tha t PVTC reig nited the fa m ily a nd c om m unity a sp ec t tha t she ha d b een m issing in thea ter. She reflec ted tha t she wa s c ha lleng ed to work out of her c om fort zone a nd felt sup p orted b y the PVTC tea m to g row a rtistic a lly.

Bria n Hern d on ( h e/ h im ) PVTC Tea c h in g Art ist - Fig h t Direc t or, Direc t or, Ac t in g Coa c h When Bria n isn?t sha ring his b rillia nc e a nd exp erienc e with PVTC stud ents, he keep s b usy a s a p rofessiona l a c tor. He is a n elec ted m em b er of Counc il ( the g overning b od y) for Ac tors?Eq uity Assoc ia tion, the p rofessiona l union of a c tors a nd sta g e m a na g ers. In the p a st yea r, Bria n ha s b een thrilled to see thea tres reop en a nd ha s wa lked the b oa rd s of m a ny Ba y Area sta g es. La st Dec em b er he sta rred a s Sc roog e in Scrooge Photo credit Eric Cha za nkin in Love a t 6th Street Pla yhouse in Sa nta Rosa . Then, in Feb rua ry, he step p ed into Pa ssover a t Ma rin Thea tre Com p a ny. Over the sum m er, he served a s a n und erstud y in Follies a t SF Pla yhouse. Currently, Bria n is rehea rsing for A.C.T.?s a nnua l p rod uc tion of A Christm a s Ca rol.

Ca tc h him a s Fezziwig this holid a y sea son b etween Nov. 30- Dec . 24th!

Pa g e 17

Da w n L. Trou p e ( sh e/ h er) You m a y rem em b er Da w n a s ou r d irec t or of su m m er 2022's p rod u c t ion of Bea uty & the Bea st a n d ou r p la y w rig h t for W ha t's On Tonight, a 2021 su m m er c a m p sh ow .

Now, Da wn is p erform ing a s a sta nd b y for Ad a m s/ Fra nklin/ Ha nc oc k/ Mc Na ir in the a ll- fem a le, tra nsg end er, a nd non- b ina ry Broa d wa y Reviva l of 1776, whic h op ened on Broa d wa y on Oc tob er 6. This Round a b out Thea tre Com p a ny a nd Am eric a n Rep ertory Thea ter c o- p rod uc tion ha s kep t Da wn b usier tha n ever. All of us a t PVTC send her well wishes d uring the run!

Alexa n d ra Orn es ( sh e/ h er) Jr. St a ff , Form er Ca m p er, St u d en t , Ma in St a g e Ac t or, In t ern This sum m er while working a s a Jr. Photo credit Christia n Pizzira ni Sta ff m em b er a t PVTC, Alexa nd ra took the sta g e a s Med ium Alison in City Lig ht Thea ter Com p a ny m usic a l p rod uc tion of Fun Hom e. Critic s ha d nothing b ut p ra ise for her p erform a nc e inc lud ing In her enthusia stic , hila rious song a b out her g irlfriend , ?Cha ng ing My Ma jor.? One reviewer noted "Ornes em b od ies Alison?s na ive em b a rra ssm ent a nd newfound p rid e." Alexa nd ra is c urrently stud ying a c ting with a m inor in m usic a l thea tre a t USC a nd c ontinues to find herself b oth on sta g e a nd b ehind the c a sting ta b le. We c a n't wa it to see wha t Alexa nd ra d oes next!

Sh a n e Tu rn er ( h e/ h im ) Form er Ca m p er , St u d en t , Ma in St a g e Perform er 2005- 2018 Shane reflected that PVTC was the first place he ever had the opportunity to compose, write, and put up a performance. In his senior year he wrote and composed two projects, The Examiner and Love Life. What he learned most was being able to be flexible in pit size and being prepared with music before bringing in musicians. A lot of the skills he gained at PVTC not only helped him with creating his current project Spotlight, but also helped him in his day-to-day life with working with fellow actors, creative staff, and students.

Shane, a recent graduate of NYU with a degree in Music Composition, began work on composing and writing the musical Spotlight during his junior year. Spotlight is a story about a young theatre prodigy who gets discovered, her talents taken advantage of within the industry. This causes her to quit theatre altogether. Later in life she becomes a producer who discovers a talented youth and finds herself continuing the industry cycle that had been imposed on her as a child. She is able to recognize and reflect on how to instead support the youth through their journey. Ultimately this is a story of learning and growth.

Spotlight had its first reading in New York this past August and the second reading is planned for summer 2023 Congratulations Shane!

Firesid e Room Cha t A Messa g e from Alum a nd Boa rd Mem b er Ala nna Mc Na ug hton Wow! Ha s it a lrea d y b een a yea r? As you?ve rea d b efore this, PVTC ha s b een ha rd a t work b ring ing b a c k in- p erson c la sses, sum m er c a m p s, a nd internship s. And with a new yea r c om es new PVTC g ra d ua tes living their b est lives in a nd outsid e of the red wood g rove. I?ve b een thrilled to see our stud ents a nd g ra d ua tes ta ke on lea d ership p ositions a nd new ventures. You?ve a lrea d y hea rd from John Ma x, who is sta rting his freshm a n yea r a t NYU this fa ll. But wha t a b out a lum na Liz Kelley, who just served a s a writer on Fred d y Krueg er?s Da y Off a t Killing My Lob ster, a thea tre in Oa kla nd tha t p rod uc es orig ina l work? Or Siena Mc Ma hon, who is tea c hing her own c ourse a t PVTC this yea r? PVTC a lum a re thriving a s p erform ers, a ttorneys, d esig ners, PhD stud ents, tea c hers, a nd p a rents!

Are you working on som ething tha t you?d b e exc ited to sha re with PVTC? I'd love to hea r from you. You c a n rea c h m e a t a lum ni@p vtc - c a .org . We ha ve a rec ord num b er of c olleg e stud ents d oing internship s with us d uring the sc hool yea r, where there a re op p ortunities to sha d ow c la sses, work in the offic e, a nd help m a ke PVTC the m a g ic a l p la c e tha t it is. This yea r, I will a lso onc e a g a in b e hosting a soc ia l g a thering for a ll a lum ni, no m a tter if you a re 18 or 48.

Plea se c om e join m e a t the Alp in e In n on Tu esd a y , Dec em b er 20 from 6- 9p m so we c a n c a tc h up a nd d isc uss wha t we?ve b een lea rning , working on, or enjoying this holid a y sea son!

- Ala nna Mc Na ug hton

Sta y in touc h! We wa nt to hea r wha t you're up to.

Do you ha ve a ny stories to sha re? Conta c t Ala nna a t a lum ni@p vtc - c a .org .

Tu esd a y , Dec . 20t h 6- 9p m ALUMNI GATHERING Pa g e 18

BEHIND THE CURTAIN Crea t iv e Bra in s in New Roles a t PVTC Lizzie Cha p m a n

Cla ra Wa lker

Siena Mc Ma hon

( she/ her)

( she/ her)

( she/ her)

If you?ve b een thinking ?Wow!

Ma yb e Cla ra kic ked your

No newc om er to PVTC, Siena ?s first

PVTC ha s rea lly step p ed up its

b ooty with the orig ina l ?top

Ma inSta g e role a s a Munc hkin in the

soc ia l m ed ia g a m e la tely!? or ?A hig h sc hool

ha t- og ra p hy? from A Chorus Line la st sum m er or

2011 p rod uc tion of The Wiza rd of Oz kic ked off a c a reer

youth c ounc il? How c ool!?, you?re p rob a b ly a d m iring the work of

p erha p s you were insp ired b y her hila rious a nd thoug htful film

of p a ssion, p ersistenc e, a nd p a tienc e! Siena c om p leted her B.A.

Com m unity Eng a g em ent Coord ina tor, Lizzie Cha p m a n. Lizzie

Driving in Ca rs. Cla ra is a d irec ting , sing ing , a nd d a nc ing

in Thea tre a t Boston University then sp ent a yea r a t the Eug ene O?Neill

joined the c ore sta ff in Ja nua ry 2022 a nd ha s b een m a king a

m a sterm ind ( a nd a stella r p erform er to b oot!) , b ut she?s a lso

Thea ter Center a s a Na tiona l Thea ter Institute Ap p rentic e.

sp la sh with interns, m usic a l thea tre stud ents, volunteers, a nd

g ot a lot to g ive in the a d m in sp a c e. If you?re c urrently ta king

Im a g ine our d elig ht when Siena a g reed to sta g e m a na g e/ p rod uc e

m ore! Lizzie b ring s a strong b a c kg round in thea tre ed uc a tion,

c la sses, you?ve p rob a b ly rec eived m a ny friend ly a nd inform a tive

our 2022 sum m er c a m p s, then d ec id ed to extend her c ontra c t to

sta g e m a na g em ent, c horeog ra p hy, d irec ting , a nd

em a ils from Cla ra a s she works to b rid g e c om m unic a tion b etween

a c tiva te a va riety of long tim e ?wish list? p rojec ts a t PVTC. Using her

soc ia l eng a g em ent. Lizzie is a lso a ta lented p erform er, ta king on roles

tea c hing a rtists, fa m ilies, a nd sta ff.

We a re thrilled to ha ve Cla ra a s our

im p ressive p rod uc tion m a na g em ent a nd tec h thea tre

in Spa m a lot a t Coa st a l Rep this p a st sum m er, a nd m ore rec ently

After Sc hool Prog ra m s Coord ina tor this yea r ( a nd g ra teful tha t she

skills, Siena is reva m p ing our p rop / c ostum e org a niza tion, b uild ing

in W ood sid e Mu sic a l Th ea t re?s p rod uc tion of Bright Sta r. We a re

sp lits her tim e with us a nd South Ba y a rts ed uc a tion p rog ra m

a ud ienc e sea ting m a p s, a nd even sp ea rhea d ing the Ted d y Bea r Tea !

THRILLED to ha ve Lizzie on our tea m .

St a rt in g Art s! ) .

Oh, a nd d id we m ention she?s a hit with the 3- to- 7- yea r- old s she?s tea c hing ? We?re so ha p p y to ha ve you, Siena !

Meet t h e Fu t u re Art s Lea d ers of Am eric a !

PVTC ha s la unc hed a c olleg e a p p rentic eship p rog ra m for em erg ing a rtists wa nting to lea rn m ore a b out thea tre a d m in & ed uc a tion. Meet this yea r?s c olleg e sta ffers:

Julien Gussm a n ( they/ he ) Julien sp ent his sum m er a t PVTC insp iring c a m p ers with stud ent a c tivities a nd c rea tive d ra m a s a nd ha s b een a n inva lua b le a sset this fa ll. Julien is c om p leting a d eg ree in thea tre a t Sa nta Cla ra University, where they a re working on a n orig ina l jukeb ox m usic a l thesis p rojec t.

Ca tc h Julien onsta g e a s Toa d in A Yea r with Frog a nd Toa d a t Ba y Area Child ren?s Thea tre in Berkeley a nd Sa n Fra nc isc o b etween Novem b er- Ja nua ry!

Pa g e 19

Astra ea Brown ( she/ he) While Astra ea exp lores future c a reer p ossib ilities, she is ta king full a d va nta g e of PVTC?s new c olleg e a p p rentic eship p rog ra m , a ssisting in the c la ssroom a nd with a d m in. Astra ea enjoys sing ing , a c ting , c rea tive writing , a nd visua l a rts. He is a lso ta king c la sses a t Foothill Colleg e. We love seeing p revious interns g row into lea d ership roles!

Pa g e 20

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE W HO MADE 2022 POSSIBLE AT PVTC! PVTC Core St a ff

Hig h Sc h ool In t ern s

Jessic a Bennett Lizzie Cha p m a n Sta c ie Doherty Fred Eira s Noëlle GM Gib b s Siena Mc Ma hon Ra f Ornes Susa n Strehlow Hila ry Stevens Cla ra Wa lker

Anna lise Bowm a n Sea n Bra tton Johnny Cla rk Da niela Cua d ros Trishla Ded hia Sonia Dhola kia Sop hie Dud a Cha rlotte Dura nske La uren Hoc ka d a y Alleg ra Hod d ie Ka te Hoib erg Anna b elle Hop kins Aris Hug hes Na na Ka wa shim a Na yeon Kim Lena Kip nis Ava Kisc h Na ta lia Kula sooriya Errin La rson Sa ra h La rson Riley Minkowski Stefa n Minkowski Alessa nd ra Molna r Ha nna Pa rker Lena Pa rker Sofia Ra va Pa ig e Reinha rt Nikki Rob ison Willia m Sa m p son Julia Seg a l Aa m iya Seth CC Sha w Em m ett Sm ith Mira b el Stouta m ire Ka therine Web b Kellyn Zirn

2022 Tea c h in g Art ist s & Desig n ers Drew Atkinson Don Coluzzi Jenny Ea rlywine Juliet Green Bria n Hernd on Alic ia Kot Lisa Rozm a n Ma d d ie Rosta m i Lind sa y Sa ier Da wn L. Troup e Gra c e Zd eb lic k

AV Con t ra c t ors Alex Doherty Chip Kra uskop f John Pa renic a Thor Wa ld son

Colleg e St a ff Astra ea Brown Sa m Eva ns Julien Gussm a n Alex Morg a n Alexa nd ra Ornes Roxy Reid Ma ya Seg a l

Pa g e 21

OUR 2022 COLLABORATORS

Over the p a st yea r, num erous c om m unity m em b ers m a d e fina nc ia l c ontrib utions to PVTC. We c ould n't ha ve d one it without you!

A LIST OF OUR 2022 COLLABORATORS

2022 Com m u n it y Pa rt n ers Va lley Presb yteria n Churc h AllFive Presc hool Corte Ma d era Sc hool Sa n Ca rlos Child ren?s Thea ter Willow Com m ons

MEET PVTC's BOARD OF DIRECTORS PVTC?s d ed ic a ted b oa rd m em b ers volunteer their tim e a nd ta lents.

These lea d ers p rovid e inva lua b le insig ht into fina nc e, fa c ilities, hea lth & sa fety, HR, fund ra ising , m a rketing , org a niza tiona l struc ture, I.D.E.A initia tives, a nd m ore!

We a re thrilled to introd uce you to this enthusia st a nd thoug htful tea m .

Bra d Tu rn er

Ja son Kip n is

Jen n y Red o

Boa rd Cha ir

Trea surer

Sec reta ry

Noëlle GM Gib b s

Gin g er Holt

Ja y Ha rt m a n

Don Gu st a fson

Ja n een Pou t re

Ally son Sp en c e Vic e Cha ir

Joh n Mc Grory

Terry Rom ero

Ala n n a Mc Na u g h t on

Kim b erly Ya rn a ll

With hea rtfelt gra titude, we bid goodbye to boa rd m em ber Gra ce Lee for her va lued service. Tha nk you, Gra ce!

Wa nt to g et involved in lea d ership a t PVTC? Em a il noelle@p vtc - c a .org Pa Paggee 23 22

Portola Va lley Thea tre Conserva tory 945 Portola Roa d Portola Va lley, CA 94028

?PVTC is a place where an incredibly supportive community fosters a learning environment full of love, passion, creativity, and fun; in other words, it?s my home away from home!?

- 2022 Summer Camp Intern

STAY CONNECTED! @p vtc _ c a fa c eb ook.c om / p vthea tre

@p vtc _ c a

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